This invention relates to fishing baits.
The present invention comprises a soft gelatinous elastomer composition and article useful as fishing bait formed from
(I) 100 parts by weight of one or a mixture of two or more of a hydrogenated styrene isoprene/butadiene block copolymer(s);
(II) one or more first plasticizers with or without one or more second plasticizers being in sufficient amounts to achieve a gel rigidity of from about 20 gram Bloom to about 1,800 gram Bloom;
said gelatinous elastomer composition in combination with or without one or more selected (III) polymers or copolymers;
said first plasticizers being in effective amounts for said gelatinous compositions to have a Gram Tack lower than a gelatinous composition having the same rigidity formed from said second plasticizers alone;
said second plasticizers being in effective amounts in combination with said first plasticizers for said gelatinous compositions to have a greater temperature compression set than a gelatinous composition having the same rigidity formed from said first plasticizers alone;
said second plasticizers for said gelatinous compositions to have a greater temperature compression set than a gelatinous composition having the same rigidity formed from said first plasticizers alone or formed from a combination of said first plasticizers and said second plasticizers;
said first plasticizers being in effective amounts with said second plasticizers for said gelatinous compositions to have a Gram Tack lower than a gelatinous composition having the same rigidity formed from said second plasticizers alone;
said selected polymers being in effective amounts for said gelatinous compositions to have a Gram Tack lower than a gelatinous composition having the same rigidity formed from said block copolymers and corresponding said first plasticizers alone or said first plasticizers with said second plasticizers;
said selected (III) polymers or copolymers being in effective amounts for said gelatinous compositions to have a greater temperature compression set than a gelatinous composition having the same rigidity formed from said block copolymers and corresponding said first plasticizers alone or said first plasticizers with said second plasticizers; and
said fishing bait being life like, soft, flexible, capable of exhibiting buoyancy in water, and having low tack;
said fishing bait being rupture resistant to dynamic stretching, shearing, resistant to ball-up during casting, resistant to tearing encountered during hook penetration, casting, and presentation;
said fishing bait capable of exhibiting a success hook to catch ratio greater than 5, and
said fishing bait having greater elongation, greater tear resistance, or greater fatigue resistance than a conventional plastisol polyvinyl chloride fishing bait of corresponding rigidity.
The various aspects of the invention gel compositions and articles made from the invention gel compositions will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying disclosure.